Oz: Beginnings
by Hero's-shade
Summary: My origins for Tin Woodsman, scarecrow and many other of the oz characters, loosely based on the various 'interpretations' of Oz. Some violence, but no more so than the books had.
1. Chapter 1

_(Okay, this is_ _somthing I've wanted to do since I was a little kid... my own version of the backstories of the Oz characters, based somewhat on the various 'interperations' of Oz. This is my first Oz story, so go easy on me, ok? First up, the Tin Woodsman.)_

_(Oh yeah, almost forgot: Based on the 'Oz series' created by L. Frank Baum)_

1.) Heartless

As he wiped the sweat from his brow, Nicolas Chopper set his ax down, and took a cool sip of water from his canteen. As one of the best lumberjacks in munchkin land, his services were in high demand. It was easy to make a paycheck in these parts- especially amongst lazy, rich munchkin farmers who didn't want to chop their own firewood, or the lumber to build their barns, sheds, and homes. Still, even greatest woodsman in Oz could stand to take a break now and then.

Reaching up and picking a lunch pail off of a nearby lunch pail tree, Nick munched on the grilled cheese sandwich it contained. Tucking his white polka dot handkerchief into his red flannel shirt, he sat down to enjoy his meal. As his deep brown eyes gazed down at the handkerchief, Nick was reminded of the beautiful girl who had given it to him in the first place…

…of Nimee Amee…

His former fiancé… his former love. It had been nearly a year since she had broken off their relationship, and part of him still missed her. Still, he had heard that she had taken up with a fellow in the Ozian army named Fyter, and he wished them all the best. But still, it was times like this that he felt lonely, that he wished for some female companionship…

It was at that moment that he felt a droplet of rain come down on his long brown hair. Looking up, he became depressed as he saw dark clouds forming overheard. The rain began to fall rapidly, drenching Nicolas even though he was under the branches of the Lunchpail tree. But as the young man looked to the sky, he noticed a rainbow forming in the sky over his head.

As the bright bridge of colors passed over his head, Nick thought he saw something fall off of the rainbow. A small, lithe shape came tumbling from the sky above, and plummeted towards the earth below. Squinting his eyes, Nicolas thought he must be hallucinating… for before his eyes fell the form of a beautiful woman, and it looked as if she would land but a few feet from where he stood.

Acting on reflex, he dashed to the spot where she would land, and caught her in his arms. Not believing what had just happened he could only stare at her in wonder. She wore a loose fitting dress of the purest white, and her skin was a fair tan color. The girls hair couldn't seem to make up it's mind what color it wanted to be, as it kept shifting from blue, to green, to orange, to purple in quick succession.

"Ummm… miss?" He said, trying to wake her. Having a girl just fall out of the sky was not out of the ordinary in a place like Oz, so it was no great shock to Nicolas Chopper, but it still did not happen every day. "Are you all right, miss?" Her eyes fluttered open, and the young woodsman found himself staring into the most beautiful pair of deep blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Did you save me from falling?" She asked in a sweet, honeyed voice. "Oh… why thank you."

As he set the young lady down, Nicolas found his face turning a deep red. "W-who are you miss?" He asked in awe. "What is your name?"

"My name is Polychrome, my good lumberjack." She replied, curtseying to hide her own blush. "And I am the daughter of the rainbow."

----

Over the next few days, Nick Chopper and his new visitor got to know each other. Nick allowed her to stay in his room at his home, while he himself slept in his shed. Through their conversations, Nick learned that Polychrome had fallen from her father's Rainbow when he was passing over Oz.

"It's not the first time I've fallen off or been left behind ,you see." She told him. "My father often gets careless when he's calming the weather after a storm. I'm sure he will come back looking for me soon."

"Your father can control the weather?" Nick asked

"Oh, yes." She replied. "But usually he and I only use are abilities to make the weather peaceful… that's why you see a rainbow after bad rain."

"Can you make bad weather, too?" Nick asked curiously.

Polychrome frowned. "Yes… but I prefer not to." She looked at him sadly. "I hate seeing innocent people getting hurt, Nicolas!"

-----

One particular day, Nicolas and Poly sat under a lunchpail tree, watching the clouds roll by over head. As they talked, Nicolas told her about himself.

"My father was a woodsman, as was his father before him." The young woodsman explained. "We have always lived here in the munchkin forest, chopping down trees to make a living."

"But it seems like a lonely life!" Polychrome exclaimed with pity. "Have you no family or friends?"

Nick shook his head. "My family have all long since passed on, but I do have a best friend named Boq." The young woodcutter looked up at the sky. "He and I grew up together, but he left to go attend the local university."

"Well then." Polychrome asked playfully. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Nick turned red. "No... but I did once." He closed his eyes. "Her name was Nimee Amee, a local girl."

Poly's expression softened. "Oh, Nick.... what happened?"

The young woodsman shook his head. "We didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things... so she found someone else to love her." A tear rolled down Nick's cheek. "She said I spent too much time with my work, and not enough with her..._she said I was heartless..._ "

As his voice grew pained, Polychrome placed a hand of his cheek. "It's okay, Nicolas..." She told him, smiling warmly. "Everything's going to be all right."

Then, the Rainbow's daughter took the sobbing woodsman into her arms, and comforted him.

---

As evening crept into the western sky, Nick had gone into the forest to chop some more lumber. He had hoped to use his earning from this latest batch of wood would net a high enough price to buy polychrome a new dress- a gift before she returned to the skies.

As he was chopping down a maple tree, he never heard the soft approach of a pair of ruby slippers coming up behind him.

"Nicolas Chopper?"

Spinning around, he at first thought it was Polychrome… but he quickly found himself looking at a strange woman he did not know.

"Yes, can I help you, Miss…"

He suddenly stopped speaking when he saw those ruby slippers, and his blood ran cold. Although he had never seen this woman before, he knew exactly who she was… the Wicked Witch of the East, the tyrannical ruler of Munchkin land, who terrorized the helpless munchkin populace with her black magic.

"What… what do you want?" He asked in a shaky voice.

She looked him up and down coldly. "You are the former fiancé of the woman Nimee Aimee, are you not?" Her harsh voice barked at him. "You abandoned her, and broke her heart, did you not?"

"How do you know about that?" Nicolas asked nervously.

"She is my loyal servant, and has told me everything about your former relationship." The Witch replied. "All the people of munchkin land are mine, even you normal sized folk. You had no right to pursue a relationship with one of my slaves... let alone break her heart."

"What do intend to do?" Nick asked in a warning tone. "If you try to hurt her in any way for what I did..."

"I will do nothing to her." The witch replied indignantly. " But I intend do use you as an example, a warning to any others who would dare defy my will."

The Witch clicked the heels of her ruby slippers together three times, and Nicolas felt his axe come to life in his hands, and he found himself unable to let go of it.

"Do not worry, your friend Sergeant Fyter will be following you to the grave soon enough." She turned, and started to walk away. "Farewell, Nicolas Chopper... this world will not miss a man who has no heart."

As she left, the wildly swinging axe cut first into Nick's right arm, chopping his hand off. Then, the uncontrollable blade swung downward, chopping his right leg off. Unable to let go of the axe, Nicolas Chopper could only scream in terrified agony as the enchanted blade hacked his body to pieces.

---

"Nicolas?" When he didn't come back home that evening, Polychrome followed the path she knew the young woodsman had taken. Seeing his axe lying on the path, she turned to look to see if he was in the woods nearby.

"Nicolas, are you th- AIEEEEE!" As soon as she saw the grisly remains, the sad wail of the rainbow's daughter filled the Munchkin forest, sending a chill down the spine of all who heard it.

---

"Please, you have to help him!" Polychrome pleaded. "He said you owed him money... and you're the only one I can turn to!"

"Well, I don't know..." Klip, the master smith of Oz, replied. He looked down at the basket of Nick's... parts... that he had collected from where Polychrome had told him to find them. "I do owe him for the last time he chopped wood for me... but I'm no doctor, I'm a blacksmith! What can I do for him?"

"Nicolas told me of your skills of making living machines... of creating clockwork men." Poly shook her head. "No doctor can help him now... but perhaps you can."

"Well I did build that Tik-Tok guard for the royal house of Ev … and that iron giant for the Nome King." He replied, remembering his time as an employee of Smith and Tinker. "Perhaps I can do something."

Looking over a set of blueprints, Klip thought for a moment. "His mind looks to be entirely intact... I think I can transfer his memories." He turned back to polychrome. "Yes, I believe I can do it!"

---

That night, the great furnace in Klip's smithy roared to life, and the master smith set about to work. Heating, hammering, and cooling piece after piece of tin, Klip shaped and molded them into the form of a man made entirely of metal.

Small gears and servomotor joints were installed that would allow this 'tin man' to bend, move, twist, and do any action- from something as aggressive as chopping a tree down, to something as delicate as picking a flower.

Klip gave him enhanced strength, capable of crushing a fierce Kalidah in his bare hands. He also gave him a face made of 'soft' metal, capable of moving, contorting, and twitching like any face made of flesh. Klip's hammer thundered down again and again, as it wrought a powerful new body to hold the essence of the hapless woodsmen.

Finally, the master smith let out a sigh of relief as he finished his work… until he remembered one important organ he had forgotten to give the new 'Tin Woodsman'.

"Ah, well… what's he going to do with a heart, anyway?" Klip asked himself, as he finished putting his tools away.

----

"Ok, Miss Polychrome, you can speak to him now."

As Klip left the room, Poly approached the Newly rebuilt Nick. A towering figure of Tin, she was a little intimidated by his overwhelming presence.

"Nicolas… can you hear me?" She asked nervously. His quartz eyes flickered, then lit up.

"Poly… what… hap-pen?" he asked in his new, mechanized voice.

"Klip the Smith saved your life, Nicolas." Poly replied, relieved to see he still had his sanity after everything that had happened to him. "Does it… hurt?"

"Don't… feel… anything." He replied mechanically. "Have… no…heart…"

Poly gave a small cry of shock. "You feel… nothing?" She turned away from him, trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. "Who… who did this to you, Nicolas?"

"Wicked… witch…of the East." He replied, his voice coming more controlled and expressive as he adjusted to his new vocal synthesizer. "She cursed my axe… and made me chop my own body to pieces."

The Rainbow's daughter looked back at him, her face now terrible to behold. Her hair moved around as if blown by a strong wind, and her eyes flashed with lightning. "Then the witch shall pay dearly for what she has done." Her voice rolled like a clap of thunder.

---

It was not very long before Polychrome's father came back for her, and the Rainbow's Daughter was returned to the sky. In a fit of anger, she crossed over to the 'other world', and raged across the plains of Kansas in the form of a terrible storm.

As she sent a cyclone down, Poly noticed a lone farmhouse sitting on the Kansas prairie below her. Seeing the family that lived there run into the safety of the storm cellar( and believing the house to be empty), the Rainbow's daughter picked up the house, and carried it through the mystical barrier to the Land of Oz.

As she had expected, Polychrome found the Wicked Witch of the East tormenting a village of Munchkins on the ground below. Pulling her cyclone back, Poly let the house drop like a stone towards it's intended target. The witch never saw it coming, and was squashed like a tomato crushed by a cinderblock.

Satisfied, the Rainbow's daughter flew off, never noticing the small figure that climbed out of the house after it had landed…

---

The Tin Woodsman tried to get back to his old life as best as possible… but nothing would ever be the same again. He no longer had to eat or sleep, no longer had the sensations of taste or touch. He wasn't sure if he missed these things or not, not being able to feel anything due to not having a heart anymore. All he could do was chop wood, keep himself oiled, and wait for Polychrome's next visit.

Poly… did he love her? He was certain if he still had a heart, he would most certainly love her as much as she loved him! But as it was now, he only felt a dull ache where a heart should be. Aimee was finally right... he really was heartless.

Hoping to get his mind off all of his problems, Nick decided to do some chores. But just as he began to chop some wood, the rain began to pour down on him. Looking aound, he noticed his oil can was nowhere in sight, and he was getting very, very soaked indeed....

_(Hope you liked it! If this gets enough good reviews... next will be the Scarecrow!)_


	2. Chapter 2

2.) Brainless

The glimmering light of the noonday sun shone down on the Emerald City, bathing the city's natural green in a beautiful luminescence. The glow was so bright, the city's inhabitants had to wear specially treated glasses to protect their eyes from the shining glare.

The people of the city were a happy, cheerful folk… and why not? They lived in the Emerald City, capital of the Land of Oz, a peaceful near-utopia created by the fairy queen Lurline. All creatures- humans, munchkins, and talking animals alike- could live in peace and harmony, under the wise and benevolent rule of Lurline's mortal descendants- the Royal Family of Oz.

Within the glittering spires of the royal palace, King Pastoria Ozius XIV walked through the elegant hallways, wearing a spiked crown of gold, and a long, embroidered cloak of white and green.

Behind him, he was followed by the members of his royal court... nobility from all over Oz. Squabbling toadies and bootlickers seeking royal favor -everyone from a Count from Bunnybury, to a Duke from the glass city of the Skeezers- sought some request or petition from the kindly monarch.

"Your majesty, it would please my people greatly if you would pass an edict supporting our 'no-outsiders' stance on visitors to our village…"

"Sire… if you could just make a law, punishing the flatheads for their latest crime against our beautiful city on the lake…"

But Pastoria dismissed them all, promising to hear their grievances tomorrow. After most of them had left in a huff, the King of Oz made his way to the royal nursery, where the most important person in his life lay sleeping.

Princess Ozma.

The tiny baby lay asleep in her crib, totally oblivious to the world around her. Her nurses and attendants, Mist Maidens from the Gilikin country, bowed to their king and faded away in a cloud of vapor, in order to allow him to spend some time alone with his child.

Pastoria looked down on Ozma with a mixture of pride and love. His beloved queen had died giving birth to their child, and Ozma was all he had left to remember her by. Because of this, Pastoria was determined to make sure the princess's childhood was a happy one, and when the day came for her to take the throne, that she would be the greatest queen the Land of Oz had ever known.

"It it not safe in this palace for either of you, my king." A voice from the shadows proclaimed. "A thousand enemies hide in secret, just waiting to strike at the royal household from within."

Pastoria was startled at first, then let out a sigh of relief. "I really wish you wouldn't do that, Chang. Must you sneak up on me all the time?"

The figure stepped out from the shadows, his eyes narrowing. "As your head of palace security, my liege, it is my duty to be out of sight… and be everywhere, all at once."

Originally from the Silver islands, Chang Yuan-Yu had first come to Oz as the bodyguard of an ambassador to the country. Befriending King Pastoria, he had decided to remain here, and join the royal court as head of Security. Well trained in the martial arts of his homeland, he proved to be a more than adequate bodyguard for the King .

King Pastoria merely rolled his eyes. "And what enemy do you see coming out of the woodwork this time, Chang?"

The dark-Haired young man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Your new Royal vizier, the one who arrived mysteriously by hot-air balloon… his presence gives off a sinister, dark aura…. I do not trust him."

"The Wizard?" The King scoffed. "The people love him… and I personally think he's simply wonderful!"

"He wreaks of the foul stench of the other world… a place of lies and chaos." Chang simply shook his head. "It is the same evil that drove my people from that world in the first place."

Pastoria knew what Chang was talking about. According to their historians, the ancestors of the Silver Islanders were the crew and passengers of a fleet of Chinese ships, that had gotten lost and ended up in this world. Eventually, they had settled on the Silver islands, and Chang and his people were their descendants.

"Certainly not everyone from the other world can be bad, can they?" Pastoria argued. "Wait until he actually does something wrong, before you accuse him of wrongdoing."

"I certainly hope you're right, my king." Chang replied in a worried tone.

---

That night, Chang Yuan-Yu lay awake in his bed, contemplating the words of his benevolent and honorable monarch.

Chang had spent his whole life bettering himself. Always trying learn, trying to improve. For although he had kept up his family's tradition of being a skilled fighter, it was knowledge and _brains _that made one a well- rounded person. Chang had spent much of his youth with the greatest scholars, philosophers, and thinkers in the Silver Islands... but it seemed his thirst for knowledge would never be satisfied.

It seemed no matter how much he learned, Chang still felt empty-headed.

Witless.

_Brainless._

As the son of a mandarin at the Silver court, he was taught that the decisions of the Emperor (or in this case, king) should be questioned, but taken as the best decision until proven otherwise. Yet, the wise monks who had trained him in the martial arts had told him to follow his instincts… and his instincts were telling him something was definitely wrong here!

And yet… maybe King Pastoria was right. Maybe he really was being the brainless one here. Perhaps he was wrong about the 'wonderful' wizard.

Thinking back to his childhood, Chang remembered the story the Monks had told him of the Great Emperor Wu, who was the wisest ruler the Silver islands had ever known. But for all of his wisdom, Wu did not see that two of his sons were plotting against him.

The two princes had their father killed, and had a sorcerer change his body into a crocus flower to hide their crime. But they were soon found out, and were punished for their crimes by a good magician, who turned them both into swine.

But that never would have been necessary if the 'wise' emperor had seen their treachery beforehand. Right about now, Chang was feeling just about as brainless as the legendary emperor.

As these thoughts were going through Chang's head, he heard a scream coming from down the hallway… from the direction of the Kings room! Leaping out of bed, Chang didn't even bother to put his green, Chinese-style armor on, but instead grabbed his sword, raced down towards the King's room.

What he found… was his beloved monarch's dead body on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. In the Room were his three assassins- two Hammerheads and a one legged Hopper from the Quadling country.

"Murderous Creatures!" Chang cried. "How dare you strike down our beloved King Pastoria!" Before any of them had a chance to react, Chang cut down the first hammerhead with his blade, killing him in a single stroke.

The second one lunged it's head forward, trying to crush the swordsman with his hammer-like skull. But Chang somersaulted over the creature, spun around, and sliced him in half.

The Hopper was a little smarter, however, and jumped up and kicked Chang back into the Wall. But as it leapt over to attack him, Chang raised his sword, and speared the hopper on his blade.

With all of the assassins dead, Chang's next thought was to rush to the nursery to protect Princess Ozma. But he quickly noticed the door and windows had been shut and locked while he was busy slaying Pastoria's killers. Poison gas began to pour into the room through the cracks, and Chang realized he had been tricked.

Rushing over and pounding on the door, Chang's vision began to blur as he inhaled the gas. Before he passed out, Chang Yuan-Yu last thought were of his stupidity, for not seeing this attempt on the king's life sooner.

If only he had a brain…

---

"It was almost too easy." The wizard said with a smile. "My assassins got rid of not only King Pastoria, but also that paranoid bodyguard of his- all in one fell swoop!"

The Wizard had home to the house of the Witch Mombi, carrying the baby Ozma with him. The Child had cried for the entire balloon ride from the palace to here, so he was finally glad to be getting rid of the brat.

"So you killed the king… why not just slay the princess, too?" The old witch asked.

"I already had to explain away Pastoria's death… I didn't need a second member of the Royal family turning up dead, too." His tone grew serious. "This child must remain hidden away forever, Mombi, I mean it! Shrink her, change her into something else, do whatever you have to do."

"Rumors are already spreading across the countryside, my dear wizard." Mombi said with a cackle. "I've heard of a crazy old tailor living in Blankenburg who believes _he's _Pastoria!"

"I have no time to waste on Conspiracy theories!" The Wizard waved his hand dismissively. "Since the people of the Emerald City have made me their ruler, I now have plans to remake Oz in my own image… when I'm done, this land will be a truly _wonderful _place to live!"

---

The Wizard's lackeys had taken Chang's body out into a field in the Munchkin country, and buried it in a farmer's field in the middle of the night, so no one else would see it. The grave was so deep, that the farmer's plow never went down far enough to reach the grave.

For over ten years, Chang's body lay there, undisturbed, until the farmer put a large pole into the ground that went down, and penetrated the grave. Wanting to scare away the crows that had been hanging around his field, the farmer stuffed a bunch of his old clothes with straw, and made a Scarecrow.

But as he hung the Scarecrow on the Pole sticking in Chang's grave, he failed to notice some kind of …. Life force… shoot up the pole, and into the Scarecrow. But as he painted the face and eyes on it's head… the farmer somehow got the eerie feeling that the straw man's eyes were _watching _him….


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: This chapter is on the wicked witch of the west. In trying to please both Wicked fans and regular Oz fans,I've tried to strike a balance between the two potrayals of the witch. All I ask is you give it a chance, and read the whole thing before passing judgement, ok?_

3. Merciless:

The moonlight cast an eerie pale glow over the Winkie country, shedding the only natural light in this otherwise dark region. There was a stillness in the stale air that wreaked of death, and an ominous sense of foreboding that seemed to emanate from the lifeless ground itself.

Beneath this unearthly glow, the Winkies- the native inhabitants of this region- toiled away in a joyless existence. In a land whose soil was too poor to grow crops, and animals to hunt were scarce, suffering was a way of life. But the Winkies lives were made all the worse by the cruel tyrant who ruled over every aspect of their lives.

The Wicked Witch of the West.

Her sinister castle -a large, Gothic structure with many towers and turrets- stood in the middle of the Winkie country, giving her a view of the entire land she ruled. Staring down at the blackened wasteland, the Witch was lost in thoughts over recent events, and how she could turn them to her advantage.

Although most tales of the Witch declared her to be an evil old crone, she was actually very pleasing to the eye. Although prematurely aged by stress, her green face was still filled with the unnatural beauty she had displayed in her youth. Her long black hair hung in wispy strands, matching the long black dress she wore at all times.

She had only one eye left, a bright blue orb with a piecing gaze. The other eye had been lost long ago in a battle with the wizard's forces, and had been replaced with a glass eye made of the purest crystal (which she now wore an eye patch over). The only color in her wardrobe besides black was the golden cap she war on her head... the cap that allowed her to control the winged monkeys.

Despite the fact she was called 'wicked', the Witch did not see herself as evil. Rather, she saw herself as a freedom fighter, against the terrible and oppressive rule of the Wizard. That's why she used the winged monkeys to 'liberate' the Winkie country- under her rule, the Winkies would be safe from the Wizard's terrible oppression. In her mind, the agony and misery they suffered under her control was a small price to pay for freedom from the wizard.

It made little difference to the Witch that the Winkies hated her for it.

But right now her mind drifted far beyond the Winkie country... to the far off Munchkin lands ruled by her sister, the Witch of the East. She had heard of the arrival of this outsider, this.... Dorthy of Kansas, who single-handedly killed her sister, then took her ruby slippers.

Now, she heard this witch-slayer was on her way to the Emerald city, to see the Wizard, of all people! No matter what happened, she had to stop those slippers from falling into the wizard's hands! There was no telling what he would do with their power!

"Mistress?" One of her Winkie guards called out, standing in the doorway.

Turning to the guard, The witch could see the fear and loathing in his eyes. The Winkies had been a warrior people- their men wore Tall fur hats and long-coats (much like the Cossacks of the 'other world's' Russia). They were a proud warrior people once, and for them to be slaves to a lowly witch was a shame they could not bear.

"What is it, you little vermin?" She spat angrily "Speak quickly, or I'll turn you into an iguana!"

She would never do something so terrible, but she found that such threats were the only way to keep her soldiers in line. The guard bowed and exited, and the Wicked Witch soon heard a pair of soft footsteps behind her. She already knew who it was... the same dumb blond in a white dress and crown who always showed up, and begged her to 'change her ways'.

"Hello, Gilnda." The Wicked Witch said softly.

"Hello, E-"

"DON'T USE THAT NAME!" The Wicked Witch roared. "That naive little girl died a long time ago!" She spun around to face Glinda. "She died when the Wizard killed the only man she ever loved...... she died when her best friend turned her back on her, and sided with the wizard!"

"I sided With the people of Oz!" Gilnda shot back. "I will not become a tyrant to fight a tyrant... _like you did_!"

The Wicked Witch turned back to face the window. "Why did you come here, Glinda?"

"The Wizard is sending Dorthy Gale hear to slay you." The Good Witch of the North Warned. "In exchange for sending her home."

"I know." The wicked witch replied, lifting her eye patch, and pointing to her glass eye. "This crystal never sleeps, and sees all things I wish it to."

"What will you do, old friend?" Glinda asked.

Instead of answering, the wicked witch asked. "How's that little sister of yours doing, Glinda?"

"Locasta? She's fine." Glinda looked surprised. "She's almost finished her apprenticeship under old Tattypoo, and is getting ready to replace her as good witch of the South, when Tatty retires."

"She's barely out of her teens, and Locasta's going to be a Witch." The Wicked Witch chuckled. "Reminds me of when you and I were studying magic together."

"Remember our old professor?" Glinda snickered back. "He sure was a stick in the mud!"

"Yeah, he really was an old goat." The Wicked Witch laughed, trying to keep herself from crying from an old memory.

"Does it have to end this way, old friend?" Glinda asked sadly.

The Wicked Witch nodded. "I will have those ruby slippers, Glinda... I'll not let the wizard abuse their power."

"You'll murder an innocent girl to get them!?!" Glinda wailed. "You're not evil! This isn't who you are!"

"She killed my sister, Glinda." The Wicked Witch replied. "She's not innocent."

"But that was an accident!" Glinda pleaded. "Listen, I've discovered the wizard may have hidden Princess Ozma away. I've started searching for her.... we can end this without bloodshed!"

"Then find the Heir to the throne, Glinda... I hope she will be a better ruler for Oz than the Wizard was. As for me..." She walked over to a bucket of water, left behind by a Winkie who had been cleaning the floor. She waved her hand over the bucket, and her magic turned the water into a flesh-eating acid. "...as you can see, everything I touch turns to poison. It's too late for me Glinda... the sooner you realize that, the better."

Glinda shook her head. "Good bye, old friend... I hope you can find peace one day."

The Wicked Witch almost smiled. "Goodbye Glinda.... you'll always be my dearest friend."

As Glinda's bubble floated away, the Wicked Witch went up to the tallest tower of her castle, and stared out across the bleak expanse of the deadly desert. Far off in the distance, she could see smoke and fumes rising from the Nome King's mountain- his Nomes working at the forges, making gemstones and weapons- she guessed.

The Nome King was a far more powerful spellcaster than the Wicked Witch was, and she had considered an alliance with him, to end the Wizard's rule. Until she found out that, unlike herself, the Nome King actually _was _evil, a sadistic and twisted monster who either took people as slaves, burned them up in his fiery furnaces, or turned them into ornaments for his treasure room. The Wicked Witch was certain sick fiend was just waiting for something to happen to the Wizard and the remaining witches- then he could take Oz for his own.

"_He is the true villain in Oz."_ She thought to herself. _"Not I."_

Snapping back to the present, the Wicked Witch went to prepare for her 'guests'arrival. In her great haste, however, she had forgotten about the bucket of flesh-eating acid she had created, and just left it sitting there....


	4. Chapter 4

4.) Unpopular:

As Glinda traveled in her enchanted bubble towards the Emerald City, she could see the prosperous farms and fields of the Gilikin Country below her. Since becoming the Good Witch of the North, Glinda had done much to keep the Gilikinese safe from the cruelties of the Wizards brutal reign. As a result, the inhabitants of this land were far more happy and prosperous than ether the Munchkins or Winkies were... though they had still suffered while the tyrant had ruled the emerald city.

Glinda passed over the forest of the winged monkeys, and the flying city of Loonville. The inhabitants of both waved as Glinda passed them, bowing and showing the proper respect due to their Good Witch. Since being freed from the Wicked Witch, the Winged Monkeys had been loyal messengers and servants to Glinda... though the flying loons could be rather foolish and stupid at times. And the Skeezer's quartz nanotechnology in their glass city on the lake, ensured that Glinda's country was the most scientifically advanced out of the four regions of Oz.

As she flew over the Magic Isle, the great dragon Quox and a patrol of his dragon soldiers flew up and saluted her, their great golden wings blocking out the sun. Originally from another land, Quox had been sent to Oz to help it's people in their times of need. Glinda was grateful for his arrival, as the mighty warrior had been able to reorganize a brood of lazy dragons, who only came out every century to eat, into an elite fighting force... a powerful defense force for the Gilikin country, that even the Wizard had feared. But even here, in her lands, there were threats- such as the giantess Ms. Yoop, and the terrible purple spiders, who enslaved travelers in their sinister webs.

Despite all this power and ability, there was always one thing that grated on Glinda's nerves about the the people of her country- they weren't _popular. _There was nothing particularly showy or beautiful or glamorous about her subjects that made them stand out from the other regions of Oz. Oh sure, Glinda tried to make up for it by recruiting the prettiest and most charismatic Gilikinese girls to act as her personal guards and servants at her palace -and her castle _was _the most beautiful in all of Oz- but that still didn't seem to be enough!

She envied her sister, Locasta, who ruled the gorgeous Quadling country to the South. _Her_subjects included a village of beautiful people made of living porcelain, and a whole town of cute living paper dolls, cut from magic paper by Locasta's friend Cuttenclip (a nickname Locasta had given her). And to make matters worse, Locasta was herself unpopular- _and liked it that way! _It still blew Glinda's mind that her own sister was a black-haired bookworm who didn't care what other people thought about her. Sometimes, Glinda wondered if fate had played a cruel trick on her, and _she _should have been the good witch of the South instead!

It was then Glinda's mind drifted back to their childhoods, when she and Locasta had never even heard of a wizard...

----

_"Locasta!" Glinda's mother snapped harshly at her youngest daughter. "Get your nose out that book, and get back to your dancing lessons!" _

_"Won't!" Locasta replied, sticking out her tongue. "Don't want to!"_

_"Then go to you room!" Locasta left, sulking. Their mother turned to her eldest daughter. __"Remember Glinda, it doesn't matter how smart or clever you are... it's what people think of you... how well you can perform for them... that will help you get ahead!"_

_"Yes, mother." Glinda returned to her ballet lessons. After she had finished, she ran to her little sister's room._

_"What's wrong with you?" Glinda yelled at her little sister. "Why can't you do what mom wants? Why can't you make her happy?"_

_"Leave me alone." Locasta cried, burying her face in her pillow to hide her tears._

_"I hate you!" Glinda screamed at her sister. "I wish I didn't have a sister!"_

_----_

Glinda wished she could take it all back now... but it was too late. Locasta hadn't talked to her in years. When Glinda had gone off to study magic with her teachers, Locasta had been accepted as the Apprentice to the good witch of the South- and after several years of training, now held that position herself. Glinda had often thought about going south to Loscata's castle in the Quadling country and trying to talk to her directly, to apologize... but she never had the courage to.

Soon Glinda's bubble arrived at the Emerald City. She popped the bubble, and stepped out onto solid ground. The city had mostly returned to it's glorious pre-Wizard form since Queen Ozma took over, and the people were much happier with the secret police and the Wizard's spies gone. All around her, Glinda could see the aristocrats and nobility that had come home to Oz from exile, after the Wizard's defeat. These small and petty bureaucrats had run Oz during pastoria's reign, and had returned to power with his daughter's rule. But at least thier rule was better than the Wizard controlling Oz.

"Miss Glinda?" A teenage girl dressed in a green miniskirt and jacket came out, and curtsied to her. Glinda knew who this was- Jellia Jamb, Ozma's chief secretary, and head of Ozma's ladies-in-waiting. This green-haired girl with glasses ran the day-to-day bureaucracy in the Emerald city- and was the second most powerful person n the city after Ozma herself. The girl was smart and politically savvy, but again... she wasn't _popular. _How in the world did these... nerds keep coming to power in Oz? Still, she was better than the _last _palace Secretary had been,- Glida had ordered her arrested for corruption after the Wizard's departure.

"Yes?" Glinda finally replied.

"This way, please... her majesty is expecting you."

As they walked through the halls of the Royal the royal palace, Glinda thought back to an old friend of hers who Jellia reminded her of.... An old friend, now dead and gone...

---

_"What do you plan to do when you become a full witch?" Glinda asked her roommate, polishing her nails._

_Looking up from her book, her roommate replied. "I'll do my best to help the people of Oz, and make their lives better." She adjusted her glasses. "How about you, Glinda?"_

_"What else? To get ahead" Glinda snorted._

_"You're far too shallow." Her roommate replied in disgust._

_"You're too much of a bleeding heart." Glinda retorted._

_The two of them just glared at each other for the rest of the evening, and said nothing._

_---_

It was another conversation Glinda wished she could take back... but the dead could not hear her regrets.

When the two of them arrived in the throne room, Glinda set her eyes upon the crowd assembled by the Throne. Nick Chopper, the former lumberjack turned emperor of the Winkies, was there. As was Chang Yu, the former royal guard- turned- scarecrow-turned ruler of the Emerald city, who now used his wisdom to aid Ozma as her royal Vizier. Also here was that lion, who now ruled Oz's talking animals from a forest in the Quadling country. Locasta was there, as well, along that young boyfriend of hers- Sir Hokus, the first new Royal Knight of Oz since Ozma restated the order-. although she was only nineteen and he twenty-four, they seemed to work well enough Glida looked up at her, Locasta just turned her head away in disgust.

And in the center of it all sat the teenage girl, Ozma Ozius XIX- ruler of the entire kingdom... and worst offender on the unpopular list. Although quite beautiful- with Golden Hair, a beautiful green ball gown, and the Ruby slippers on her feet- Ozma was the worst princess Oz had ever had. Glinda had found her as a slave of the Witch Mombi, who had used her magic to turn Ozma into a boy as a baby, and raised him as her servant, Tip. Glinda had forced Mombi to turn Tip back into a girl, who then took the throne. But instead of acting ladylike, like a Princess should, Ozma acted like a boy- belching in public, climbing trees, and scratching herself.

It was a total embarassment to the kingdom, but Ozma did have a few good points. Glidna was at least glad that Ozma had taken to wearing dresses and girl's underwear right away- they're might have been a royal scandal if she hadn't. She was also glad Ozma was attracted to boys and not girls. (Jellia had caught the princess using the ruby slippers to turn invisible, and sneak into the Royal guards men's locker room.) But it still drove Glinda crazy that this overbearing tomboy was her ruler.

"Ah Glinda... glad you could make it." Ozma remarked snarkily. "We were just planning a resuce mission for the Queen of Ev and her chlidren from the Nome King."

"Yeah." Locasta spat. "We wouldn't have want to go without consulting Oz's greatest ditz first."

Looking at sll of them, the good Witch of the north lowered her head. Oz was under the rule of a bunch of freaks, outcasts, and misfits... and they were doing a good job of running the place. Maybe.... maybe her mother had been wrong... maybe popularity wasn't everything.

Maybe it wasn't anything at all.


	5. Chapter 5

5.) Cowardly:

_He didn't remember his mother much. All he could recall was her soft purring,.. and her plaintive cry as the bullet killed her._

_The hunters who had killed her put him in a cage, and he spent the first few years of his life behind those iron bars. _

_Passing from one master to another, his memories of those early years were so painful, he blocked them from his mind. _

_Never to think of them again...._

_---_

If there was anything he understood better than anyone else... it was fear.

It was a powerful emotion, that kept him from doing foolhardy or rash actions, keeping him alive in dangerous situations. But it also served to hold him back, preventing him from standing up for both himself and others, when it was necessary. Yes, fear was both saint and devil to the Cowardly Lion, as it remained a constant force in his life.

The Lion was the King of the enchanted forest- the wild wood in the Quadling country where most of Oz's talking animals lived. There, he ruled over such noble animals as the hungry tiger and the Comfortable Camel. There were, of course, more isolationist communities of animals that did not recognize his rule- such as the Donkeys of Dunkiton, and the foxes of Foxville. But most of the Ozzian talking animals lived in his forest, and considered him their brave ruler.

Brave ruler- Ha! What a terrible joke that was! Sure, he had killed the Giant spider that had been eating the talking animals, but that was in a moment of courage... something that did not come often to the lion. most of the time, he would have rather run the other direction than face such danger.

How did the lion end up so cowardly? He honestly wasn't sure. His memories of his early years were long forgotten. Oh, he had various flashes of 'memories'- of being in an 'other world' circus with the wizard... or of being kept in a cage and tortured, until a nice lady freed her... but he was unsure if these were memories or delusions. What he did remember was years and years of tormenting by the other animals of Oz, and how much it hurt....

---

_"Fraidy cat! Fraidy Cat!" A squirrel had taunted him._

_"A lion? More like a chicken!" A parrot cackled._

_"You're not the king of beasts!" A monkey chortled. "You're the Jester!"_

_"Stop it!" The young lion cried. "Stop it! Why are you so mean?"_

_"Show some guts." A bear roared. "And we'll treat you like a lion!"_

_"Then I'll show you!" The Lion yelled. "I can be brave! I'll show you I can be brave!"_

_---_

And so he became a bully, tormenting all animals that were smaller than he was to prove he wasn't a coward. He continued his little charade until Dorthy, Scarecrow and the Tin Man came through the forest, and he tried his act on them. One slap from Dorthy stopped him short... and changed his life forever.

Since then, The Lion had not only had he become a king, but he also served as a bodyguard for Ozma when she journeyed outside the Emerald city (along with the Hungry tiger). But right now, the Lion was guarding a diplomatic function arraigned... a gathering of "Otherworlders" who had settled in Oz.

Ever since Dorthy Gale had come in her flying house, visitors from the Oververse had been trickling into the land of Oz. Most of them had decided to settle here permanently, finding Oz a far more pleasnt place to live than their homeland. But the people from the otherworld had started to grow homesick, so Ozma had arranged a gathering of the immigrants so they wouldn't feel so homesick and lonely.

The Lion yawned lazily as he looked out over the gathered crowd. In one corner stood the Shaggy man, a bearded mystic who loathed material possessions, who was arguing with his brother over the nature of beauty. In another corner stood Captain Bill Weedles, a sailor who had washed ashore in Oz while at sea. He was talking with the Braided man, an inventor who had fallen through a hole in the Earth, and ended up here. A Follower of the shaggy man's philosophy of 'love', he had grown his hair so long, that he was able to braid it with ribbons.

The lion was fond of Humans, as most of friends were human (except Chang and Nick, of course), but for some reson, he felt that humans were the ones who taught him fear in the first place...

---

_"How do ya like that, ya filthy animal?"_

_THe cruel man with the whip mocked the cub, hitting him again and again, making the cub cry out. The painful lash of the whip came any time the cub growled... anytime he showed any sign of defiance._

_"I'll break you... I'll make you feel pain until your fur bleeds!" The man snarled. "When I'm done, you'll grow up to be a cowardly Lion!"_

_As the cub whimpered for food, the man stormed away, leaving the cub to starve. What neither the crual man nor the cub saw was a pair of eyes watching the whole situation, determined to end this cruelty for good....._

---

Apart from these older guests, stood three teenage girls- Dorthy, and her two friends, Trot and Betsy Bobbin. The three girls had all been made noble ladies by Ozma, and had become her ladies in waiting at court. The three of them were giggling, and looking at Button Bright, a teenage boy with blond hair and blue eyes standing over in the corner by himself. Suddenly, the other two girls began to push Dorthy towards the boy, and she began to panic.

Seeing this, the Lion rose to his feet. He understood fear very well, and he knew his friend Dorthy was afraid to talk to this boy of her species from the look on her face. He was about to go over and give the two girls a warning growl... when something inside him told him to stop.

_It's her fear to face... let her face it. _

The Lion sat back down, and simply watched. Dorthy stumbled into Button, and the boy smiled. Dorthy blushed a deep red, and began talking to him. Soon, music began to play and the two of them went out to the center of the floor to dance. As Button Bright put his gentle arms around her, Dorthy closed her eyes and smiled.

Could it be? Dorthy had just faced her fear... and come out happier as a result. Scratching his chin with his claw, The Lion contemplated that maybe fear was not just an inhibitor... but instead an obstacle to overcome... and make you stronger. If he looked on fear as a foe to be conquered, he might even have the courage to take on anything from a rocky Gargoyle from the land of Naught, to a Phanphasm from Mount Phantastico. Maybe being a cowardly lion wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

---

_"Don't be afraid." The woman told the lion cub. "You're safe now."_

_The Cub only quivered, and jumped to run away. The Woman only smiled. "You're free now, they'll never put you in that cage again." She turned to walk away, melting back into the trees. "There's no reason for you to ever be afraid again."_

_As the woman who had freed him disappeared, the cub turned to face the frightening sounds coming out of the forest alone. Frightening sights and sounds that would teach him to live... a life of fear.  
_


End file.
